Refining feed unit for a carding machine

ABSTRACT

A horizontally disposed feed unit is provided for feeding a picker lap or batt to a carding machine, preferably a refining feed unit type carding machine The feed roll in its rotation about its axis leads the picker lap longitudinally to the carding machine and is provided with means to reciprocate the feed roll longitudinally along its axis so as to impart a herringbone pattern to the picker lap as it is fed to the carding machine, which herringbone pattern imparted to the fibers of the picker lap as they are fed to the carding machine slants every fiber across the teeth of the carding roll to which it is fed and, thus, assists in closing up any bores or holes or pin spots in the picker lap. Advantageously, the picker lap to which a herringbone pattern has been imparted to the fibers thereof, is fed to a card feed unit which is positioned at a carding machine in place of a standard lap stand to refiningly act on the picker lap so as to supply a light-weight blanket of aligned fibers to the carding machine and, thereby, greatly increase the production rate of the carding machine. Such a refining feed unit would comprise a two-column, plane-supported stack of horizontally disposed rolls of small diameter with the rolls of one column being in nested relationship with the rolls of the companion column in the rolls from the feed roller, which imparts a herringbone pattern to the fibers in the lap, to the blanket delivering bottom of the unit at an increased number of spirally arranged teeth and are driven at increased speeds so that each roll performs in two drafting stages. It drafts from the upper preceding roll and holds against the lower succeeding roll.

States atet [1 1 Goldman Feb. 12, 11974 REFINING FEED UNIT FOR A CARDIING MACHINE [75] Inventor: Maurice A. Goldmarn Newark, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Synagex Corporation, New York,

[22] Filed: Apr. 25, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 247,467

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 879,886, Nov. 25,

1969, Pat. N0. 3,657,772.

[52] US. Cl 19/105, 19/99, 19/155, 19/236 [51] Int. Cl D01g 15/40 [58] Field of Search. 19/98, 99, 100, 101, 105, 128, 19/83, 96, 155

George A. Depaoli; William E. OBrien [57] ABSTRACT A horizontally disposed feed unit is provided for feeding a picker lap or batt to a carding machine, prefera bly a refining feed unit type carding machine The feed roll in its rotation about its axis leads the picker lap longitudinally to the carding machine and is provided with means to reciprocate the feed roll longitudinally along its axis so as to impart a herringbone pattern to the picker lap as it is fed to the carding machine, which herringbone pattern imparted to the fibers of the picker lap as they are fed to the carding machine slants every fiber across the teeth of the carding roll to which it is fed and, thus, assists in closing up any bores or holes or pin spots in the picker lap. Advantageously, the picker lap to which a herringbone pattern has been imparted to the fibers thereof, is fed to a card feed unit which is positioned at a carding machine in place of a standard lap stand to refiningly act on the picker lap so as to supply a light-weight blanket of aligned fibers to the carding machine and, thereby, greatly increase the production rate of the carding machine. Such a refining feed unit would comprise a twocolumn, plane-supported stack of horizontally disposed rolls of small diameter with the rolls of one column being in nested relationship with the rolls of the companion column in the rolls from the feed roller, which imparts a herringbone pattern to the fibers in the lap, to the blanket delivering bottom of the unit at an increased number of spirally arranged teeth and are driven at increased speeds so that each roll performs in two drafting stages. It drafts from the upper preceding roll and holds against the lower succeeding roll.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 12, 1974 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @3515 1T 29.55am J. .w

Patented Feb. 12, 1974 3,790,990

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 9% O) 42 F1Gu4 REFINING FEED UNIT FOR A CARDING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally appertains to new and novel improvements in carding machines and,

of the unit where the web is fed to the feed roll of the carding machine. The rolls, from top to bottom, are provided with increased spirally arranged rows of triangular teeth and are driven at progressively increased speeds so as to effect a graduated long total draft from the entering thick lap to the discharged thin web. The rolls function to gradually attenuate and level the entering l6-ounce picker lap of fibers to the extent of, at least, four to one. The total long uniform draft does not involve or permit separation of the entering and effected lap at any stage, although some of the fibers are more particularly, relates to a new and novel feed roll for imparting a herringbone pattern to the fibers in a' picker lap and feeding them to a refining feed unit for a carding machine having means for gradually attenuating the bottom fibers into a low-level aligned fiber blanket, especially, but not restrictively, for feeding such blanket into a standard carding machine so as to greatly increase the production rate of the carding machine. The herringbone pattern imparted to the fibers in the picker lap assists in filling up any holes or pin spots or voids therein.

2. Description of the Prior Art Cotton fiber from the ginners to the textile mills is in compressed large bales. The opening and preparation machinery at the textile mills consists of coarsely pinned aprons and pinned cylinders operating in hoppers followed by a picking and lapping process that produces a compressed roll of continuous lap or batt of near uniform l6-ounce weight per yard. This thickness is necessary to hold the batt together for transportation and for unrolling at the carding machine. The produced batt is known as the picker lap or batt.

Conventional carding machines, generally in use in textile mills, consist essentially of a lickerin to pluck small tufts of fiber from the picker batt or lap, a carding cylinder onto which the plucked fibers are deposited by the lickerin, revolving flats which surround a part of the peripheral surface of the carding cylinder and a doffer which removes fibers from the carding cylinder. The revolving flats and the carding cylinder have needleclothing surfaces and the carding cylinder in its surface rotation carries the fibers past the revolving flats.

The pickerbatts are fed'to such carding machine that refines and reconstructs them to a continuous uniform sliver weighing 70 grains (more or less) per yard. The feed roll of the carding machine presents the fringe of the condensed picker batt to the high-speed, coarsely pinned lickerin roll that plucks the tufts and passes them to the cylinder. All the coarse, as well as the fine, work to individualize and spread the fibers is done between the carding cylinder and the flats. They do both at the slow rate of not more than pounds per hour of cotton. Such operating area between the cylinder and the flats is better designed for fine carding rather than doing coarse carding. The performance of both coarse and fine carding accounts primarily for the slow rate.

In my above-mentioned copending U.S. application Ser. No. 879,886, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,772, I have described a refining unit which generally comprises a two-column stack of small diameter horizontally disposed rolls with the rolls in one column nesting with the rolls in the adjoining or companion column. The rolls are, thus, in vertically staggered relation from the top of the unit, where the lap is supported, to the bottom moved forward four times their length. Thus, there is a total long uniform draft of -a disassociat ed short fiber mass into a uniform wide web or sheeting without any breaks.

By the use of my refining feed unit described in my above-identified, copending application, the output of a conventional carding machine of the type generally in use in textile mills can be increased from the amount no enera y assep cd po ndsper hou t r s t sm on a standard 40-inch width carding machine to a rate of about pounds per hour without increasing the standard operating speeds of 1,000 rpm of the lickerin roll of the carding machine and 350 rpm of the carding. cylinder.

However, the picker lap from the picker machine is essentially an air-blown batt of fibers in very much helter-skelter arrangement and having numerous holes or pin spots or voids therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with my present invention, the feed roll for the picker lap to the refining unit of the carding machine reciprocates sideways as it rotates about its axis to thereby impart a herringbone pattern to fibers in the picker lap as they are presented to the refining unit so as to assist in filling up any holes, voids or pin spots in the picker lap. As a result, the refining unit feeds to the carding machine an evenly distributed level and lightweight blanket of aligned fibers which are uniformly distributed throughout its width so that they are ready for the then permissible and possible high-speed carding by the carding machine.

For best results, the card clothing on the carding cylinder should be the conventional standard high count 560 to 660 points per square inch hardened, metallic, rigid card clothing. The card clothing on the lickerin should be 192 points 16 X 12) per square inch instead sfths prsse t 4Q12 i1 Per .sqqarej amsl ment of the flats should be increased to 12 inches to 15 inches per minute as necessary from the present 3 inches per minute or 4 inches per minute.

In a typical operation, the feed roll for the picker lap of the present invention will be rotated at a speed so as to feed a l6-ounce picker lap to the refining unit at 2 yards per minute. At the same time during this rotation, the feed roller is reciprocated sideways on its axis a distance preferably equal to the average length of the fibers being processed. Thus, with a picker lap of packed fibers having a length of 1% inches, the feed roll preferably will be reciprocated axially so as to make a complete throw in 3 inches of longitudinal movement of the feed of the picker lap so that the fibers in the picker lap will be slanted acros the teeth of the receiving row of the refining unit to thereby close up bores, holes or pin spots in the picker lap.

In such technical operation, the in-take roll of the refining unit may revolve at revolutions per minute and the out-let roll of the unit at 30 revolutions per minute. The rolls of the unit do not touch but are severed with a slight clearance, preferably about 0.010 inch clearance. The top rolls can move within a slight amount, preferably about 0.125 inch under pressure, to allow wrinkles and short folds to enter and pass, as the unit will shut down, preferably thereby the objectionable extra weight lap load is presented.

From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a primary object of the present invention is to increase the uniformity of the lap presented to the carding machine to thereby increase the rate of production of existing carding machines so as to materially alter the structural operation of such carding machines and preferably the web as it enters the carding machine and also as it exits therefrom.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means for effecting turbulent uniform draft ofa dissociated, short fiber mass into a uniform sheeting without breaks.

A still further and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel feed roll to feed a picker lap to a carding machine and impart a herringbone pattern to the fibers of the picker lap as first presented to a pre-carding operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective showing of the present invention in association with a refining unit in turn associated with a carding machine.

FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional view of the feed roll of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a picker lap passing over the feed roll of the present invention and introduced to the first carding roll of the refining unit.

FIG. 4 shows a vertical bisectional view of the feed roll and the refining unit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 10 generally designates the fiber refining or attenuating unit of the present invention which is illustrated and described herein in structural and operational feed association with a standard carding machine (only diagrammatically illustrated) because such is the preferred operational environment of the unit 10. But it is to be realized that, because of the drafting nature of the unit, it will find value in any industrial fiber drafting operation on both natural and synthetic fibers.

The unit 10 includes a laterally spaced apart, parallel, vertical framework 12 (only one of which is illustrated in FIG. 4) on each side of a horizontal, floor-mounted plate 13. The framework in the preferred operational environment of the unit 10 is suitably affixed to or near the carding machine in place of the standard lap stand and positioned to free the card feed roll as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein the lickerin roll 22 is also depicted.

Between the parallel up-rights or vertical frameworks 12 on each side of the unit are mounted two columns 24 and 26 of small diameter horizontally disposed rectifying and attenuating rolls. In the roll column 24, as

shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, there are three rolls 28, 30 and 32, while in the companion or adjoining roll column 26, as also shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, there are three rolls 34, 36 and 38. Each of the rolls in each column is of the same small diameter and of a face length 40 inches complemental to the standard 40 inches full width of a standard carding machine. The radius of each roll is the same and should be slightly (about one-sixteenth inch) greater than the average length of the fiber to be carded.

The rolls of each column 24 and 26 are in nested formation, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the rolls of the unit 10 are in vertically staggered or offset relation with the rolls operating in drafting relation with an upper preceding and a lower succeeding roll. Thus, each roll of each column acts in drafting operation to two rolls of the companion column and in clearing operation with two rolls of its own column.

As more fully described in my above-identified copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 879,886, now the US. Pat. No. 3,657,772, each of the rolls in both columns has its reduced bearing ends suitably channeled by bushings in suitable openings in the upright side framework 12. Preferably, the top rolls 28 and 34 in the columns 24 and 26, respectively, can be opened a slight distance, such as 0.125 inches, under pressure and against the resilient backing of springs so as to allow wrinkles and short folds in the picker lap 44 to enter the unit, but, if any objectionable extra weight lap fold should attempt to enter the frontmost roller 34 in column 24 would move outwardly against the suitable limit switch so as to activate such switch to shut down the unit. The rolls are preferably assembled with various small clearances of about 0.010 inches.

It can be seen from FIG. 4 that the axes of rotation of the rolls 28, 30 and 32 in the roll column 24 are in direct vertical alignment while the axes of rotation of the rolls 34, 36 and 38 in the roll column are in direct vertical alignment and that the two vertical planes in which such axes lie are in spaced apart parallelism.

At the top of the frame 12 and rotatably disposed thereon so that its axis of rotation lies in a vertical plane that passes between the vertical planes in which the axes of rotation of the columnar rolls 24 and 26 lie is a large diameter feed roll 40. The rotatable feed roll 40 lies over the two roll columns 24 and 26 at the top of the unit 10 and cooperates with a compressed roll 42 of continuous lap or batt 44 from the lap picker (not shown) with the lap being of near uniform l6-ounce weight per yard. The lap roll 42 rests by gravity on the driven feed roll 40 feed roll 40 and the lap or batt 44 is fed by to top roll 28 of roll column 24.

The lap or batt roll 42 is wound on a core 43 which has its coaxially reduced ends 45 slidably disposed in trackways 46 that project upwardly and outwardly from the upper ends of the vertical frame in a rearward direction away from the carding machine, whereby the lap roll gravitationally presses on the feed roll, regardless of the size of the lap roll. The feed roll 40 moves the lap 44 off the roll 42 and down to roll 28 in column 24.

The rolls in each of the columns 24 and 26 are faced with metallic feed roll wire and perform to gradually attenuate and level the entering 16-ounce picker lap or batt of fibers to the extent of four to one. Each downwardly successive roll in the unit 10 is clothed with wire of an increased number of teeth per linear inch and with more winds of wire per inch of roll surface. In each nip between the cooperating rolls in each of the columns 24 and 26 the faster roll has more teeth per inch of nip, with the faster roll being the immediate lower roll in the staggered roll formation of the two columns 24 and 26.

The wire is a triangular toothed wire and is wound onto each roll at a 515 spiral lead, more or less, as applicable, so that the strings and clumps in the fiber batt 54 are spread open by the wide base of the triangular teeth and cutting of the fibers is avoided. Also, the spiral arrangement of the triangular toothed wire will form an all-over distribution of the fiber spread, avoiding any compact thread effect.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the feed roll is slidably mounted on shaft 47 driven by gear 98. The roll 40 is fixedly attached to Thompson bearings 48 and 48, slidably mounted on shaft 47 and driven thereby by keys or sprongs 49 and 49'.

The feed roll 40 is caused to reciprocate sideways by cams 51 and 51 mounted on shaft 52 driven by gear 97, the cams 51 and 51' have their inner surfaces pressed against endplates 50 and 50 of feed roll 40 so that, as the shaft 52 and shaft 47 rotate, the feed roll 40 is caused to reciprocate sideways as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. This sidewise reciprocation of the feed roll 40 imparts a herringbone pattern to the lap 44 as it is placed on top roll 28 of the unit and thereby the fibers slanted towards the teeth on row 28 so that any bores, holes or pin spots in the lap 44 are filled in or closed up as the lap passes through the unit 10. The roll 40 preferably rotates at the same speed as roll 28 and preferably is of slightly smaller diameter and slightly smaller width than the width of the lap 44. Thus, for a unit designed to handle a standard 40 inches wide lap, roller 40 would have a width of 39 inches.

The degree of displacement of the interior faces of cams 51 and 51 preferably is such that the feed roll 40 is moved sidewise a distance approximately equal to the average length of the fibers in the lap 44 which is being processed. Thus, for the machine intended and the cotton wrapper 42 in which the fibers are an average length of 1% inches, the feed roll 40 is moved sidewise-a distance of 1% inches and, preferably, a complete throw is executed for each amount of longitudinal movement of lap 44, possibly equal to twice the average length of the fibers in the lap. Thus, the cotton lap on which the fibers have an average length of 1 /2 inches, a complete throw is executed for every 3 inches of longitudinal movement of the lap so that the lap roll is placed on the teeth of top roller 28 in roll column 24 in a herringbone pattern as illustrated in FIG. 3 so that the fibers are slanted across the teeth on the attenuating rolls in columns 24 and 26. The fibers are straightened and any bores, holes or pin spots in the lap are filled in. Advantageously, the feed roll 40 may have somewhat smaller width than the width of the lap 44 being processed. Thus, for a standard 40 inches lap, the feed roll. 40 may have a width of 39 inches. The feed roll 40 preferably rotates at the same speed as top roll 28 in column 24, and advantageously may have a diameter of about 3 inches and the earns 51 and 51' are rotated at approximately. three times the inner rotation at approximately five rotations for each rotation of feed roll 40 so that the feed roll 40 in one complete revolution thereof completes five throws so that the fibers or lap is presented to the top roll in the herringbone pattern illustrated in FIG. 3. Obviously, the extent of sidewise movement of row and the number of com plete rows executed in one complete revolution thereof may be changed to accommodate different fibers by changing cams 51 and 51.

The topmost roll 28 in the roll column 24 is spirally wound with four strands of drafting wire to the inch haying four triangular teeth to the linear inch. The topmost roll 34 in the roll column 26 is spirally wound with five strands of triangular five-toothed wire 64. The intermediate roll 30 in the roll column 24 is spirally wound with six strands of triangular six-toothed wire. The intermediate roll 36 in the roll column 26 is spirally wound with seven strands of seven-toothed wire 68. The bottom roll 32 in the roll column 24 is spirally wound with eight strands of triangular eight-toothed wire. The bottom roll 38 in the roll column 26 is spirally wound with nine strands of triangular ninetoothed wire 72.

In the assembly of the rolls in the unit 10, the relative speeds of the downwardly consecutive rolls in the staggered order of the columnar roll formation are, with regard to the other factors given in the disclosed example of operation, as follows: 1.00 for the top roll 28 in roll column 24; 1.10 for the top roll 34 in roll column 26; 1.32 for the intermediate roll 30 in roll column 24; 1.72 for the intermediate roll 36 in roll column 26; 2.40 for the bottom roll 32 in roll column 24; and 4.00

' for the bottom roll 38 in roll column 26.

The draft of the fiber mass progresses by the above relative speeds as 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 60%.

The increased number of teeth and increased speed of the downwardly consecutive rolls, in the columnar nested roll formation, spreads dense spots in the drafting of the fiber mass in the picker lap 44.

The unit 10 is driven in conjunction with the doffer roll (not shown on the carding machine), which is only diagrammatically and briefly shown in FIG. 1. Thus, a drive shaft 74 from the drive for the card doffer roll drives through bevel gearing 76 a pair of gears 78 and 80.

The thin sheet 87 of attenuated fibers emerging from the lowermost roll 38 in the roll column 26 may be removed therefrom by a single doffer roll as illustrated in my above-mentioned copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 879,886, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,772. However, I prefer to employ the alternative construction comprising two smaller doffer rolls running in a vertical nip relationship as mentioned in my said copending application and more fully and specifically described in my copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 247,360,

filed Apr. 25, 1972 wherein the lowermost roll 32 of the roll column 24 is provided with a small underly and peripherally engaging cleaner roll 82 while the lowermost roll 38 in the roll column 26, which roll is the outlet roll of the unit 10, has a pair of cooperating doffer rolls 84 and 85. The doffer rolls 84 and 85 are rotatably positioned alongside and in engagement with the outer face of the outlet roll 38 and serve to doff the web or sheeting from the roll 38 and assist in delivering the web or sheeting through the nip between rolls 84 and 85 to the carding machine feed roll 20.

The gear 78 directly drives the shaft of the outlet roll 38 and, through an appropriate chain and gearing drive arrangement 86, drives the doffer rolls 84 and 85 at the same speed as the roll 38 while the gear drives the shaft of the roll 32 which, through the gear 90, drives the cleaner roll 82. From the shaft of the roll 32 the drive for the upwardly disposed rolls in both of the columns 24 and 26 is carried and transmitted upwardly and back and forth across the unit by suitable intermeshing gear 94 at appropriately opposite ends of the shafts for the upper rolls in each column, as can best be appreciated from a consideration of FIG. 1, wherein the gearing and shafting for the rolls are shown diagrammatically in connection with the rotative directional movement of the rolls in the columns 24 and 26, as indicated by the arrows. The feed roll 40 for the unit 10 is driven from the roll 34 by an appropriate chain drive 96. The card feed roll is driven by gear 98 by gear 97 which, in turn, is driven through a suitable chain drive 83 from the drive for the rolls of the unit 10 is a progressive one from the fastest roll 38 on up and through the slowest roll 28 in the ratio aforementioned.

It is to be particularly appreciated that there is no pair of so-called holding and drafting rolls involved in the unit 10 but, instead, for example, the roll 34 drafts from the preceding roll 28 and, at the same time, holds against the drafting of the succeeding roll 30. In this regard, it must be borne in mind that the roll 28 is moving slower than the roll 34 while the roll is moving faster than the roll 34.

While the unit 10 has been shown and described in environmental association with a conventional carding machine, as a refining feed unit therefor, wherein its presence will greatly increase the rate of production of the carding machine, the unit 10 in view of its drafting roll system and assembly, can be used alone or in connection with any industrial system of fiber drafting.

It will be understood that the foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention and that various changes which may be made therein will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Thus, while the present disclosure describes a draft of four to 10 in six rolls depending on the particular fiber type, length of fiber, and speed of the rolls, this may be changed and, also, it is contemplated that additional rolls can be added to achieve an increased draft. For example, the addition of two more rolls to achieve a draft of eight to 10 may be added. Further, while various specific wire arrangements have been shown, it is to be understood that the initial roll can have a greater number of strands progressing to a greater number of strands on the outlet roll. While the feed to the unit has been described as a wound roll of picker lap or batt, it will be apparent that, in place of a wound roll, a batt as produced by the picker may be fed directly to the feed roll 40 or other suitable form of batt or lap may constitute the feed to the unit. The feed roll 40 may have either a smooth outer peripheral surface or, if desired, may have a roughened or toothed peripheral surface to aid in holding the batt and imparting a zig-zag or herringbone pattern thereto as it is laid on the first roll of the unit. Also, while the series of toothed fiber refining and attenuating rolls are preferably arranged in two columns with the columns being in adjoining, vertical, side-by-side relation with the rolls of the two columns being in staggered, nesting, spacing relation as described in my copending United States patent application Ser. No. 879,886, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,772, it will be apparent that other arrangements of a series of aligned, parallel, peripherally toothed rotary rolls over which the batt of fibers to be refined and attenuated are adapted to pass in procession from the first roll at the inlet end of said series to the last roll at the outlet end of said unit may be employed. Other and further modifications and changes which may be made will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fiber-refining and attenuating unit, comprising a series of aligned, parallel, peripherally toothed rotary rolls, over which a batt of fibers to be refined and attenuated are adapted to pass in succession from the first roll at the inlet end of said series to the last roll at the outlet end of said series means for driving said rolls at progressively increasing, peripheral speeds from the inlet end to the outlet end whereby each succeeding roll is in drafting relation with a slower rotating, preceding roll in said series and each preceding roll is in holding relation with a faster rotating succeeding roll in said series, the improvement which comprises:

A. a rotary feed roll, keyed on and driven by a central shaft, which is positioned ahead of and adjacent to said first roll at the inlet end of said series of rolls and over which said batt of fibers is adapted to pass to feed said batt into said first roll in said series,

B. means to rotate said feed roll, and

C. means to impart a slight, sidewise reciprocating movement longitudinally of its axis to said feed roll whereby the batt of fibers is laid on the first roll of said series in a zig-zag or herringbone pattern, comprising:

l. a second drive shaft parallel to said feed roll drive shaft and having mounted thereon two rotary cams, the side face of each cam toward the center of said shaft being beveled and the beveled face of one cam bearing against one end of the rotary feed roll and the beveled face of the other cam bearing against the other end of said feed roll, and

2. interconnecting means for rotating said feed roll and said cams, whereby, as the feed roll and cams are rotated, a sidewise reciprocating movement, longitudinally of its axis, is imparted to said feed roll. 

1. In a fiber-refining and attenuating unit, comprising a series of aligned, parallel, peripherally toothed rotary rolls, over which a batt of fibers to be refined and attenuated are adapted to pass in succession from the first roll at the inlet end of said series to the last roll at the outlet end of said series means for driving said rolls at progressively increasing, peripheral speeds from the inlet end to the outlet end whereby each succeeding roll is in drafting relation with a slower rotating, preceding roll in said series and each preceding roll is in holding relation with a faster rotating succeeding roll in said series, the improvement which comprises: A. a rotary feed roll, keyed on and driven by a central shaft, which is positioned ahead of and adjacent to said first roll at the inlet end of said series of rolls and over which said batt of fibers is adapted to pass to feed said batt into said first roll in said series, B. means to rotate said feed roll, and C. means to impart a slight, sidewise reciprocating movement longitudinally of its axis to said feed roll whereby the batt of fibers is laid on the first roll of said series in a zig-zag or herringbone pattern, comprising:
 1. a second drive shaft parallel to said feed roll drive shaft and having mounted thereon two rotary cams, the side face of each cam toward the center of said shaft being beveled and the beveled face of one cam bearing against one end of the rotary feed roll and the beveled face of the other cam bearing against the other end of said feed roll, and
 2. interconnecting means for rotating said feed roll and said cams, whereby, as the feed roll and cams are rotated, a sidewise reciprocating movement, longitudinally of its axis, is imparted to said feed roll.
 2. interconnecting means for rotating said feed roll and said cams, whereby, as the feed roll and cams are rotated, a sidewise reciprocating movement, longitudinally of its axis, is imparted to said feed roll. 